The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-10-27
COMRADES. ATTENTION.
Attention, Comrades!


flank attack
The enemies of soldiers have altered their
field tactics. They are massing now under
the banner Of Revenue Reduction" TO de-
liver what they hope will be fatal assault
on al manner Of additional pensions, allow
ances and other acts of justice to the Nations
saviors.
They want 10 repudiate the debt due the
soldiers by destroying the Nations power to
pay that debt They want TO cut down the
Governments income untilt there will not be
a dollar left TO pay arrears OF pensions, TO
equalize bOunties, TO give increased allow
ances 10 the legless, the armless, the sightless,
the decrepit victims ofrheumatism, paralysis,
diarrhea, and of the scuryy and starvation
of rebel prisons; to the widows and orphans
of men who were hurried TO their graves by
the wounds and hardships incurred in the
service to their imperilled country.
This is vastly more shameless repudi-
alton than il would have been TO cut down
the Nations revenues, TO defraud the money
lenders and bondholders of repayment in
gold of the deprecated paper dollars they
loaned the Government. That would only
have been robbing comparatively rich men
of portion of their business profits. This
would be 10 rob poor men and women of their
very hearts blood.
The soldiers of the country not only gave
the most precious thing that men can give
to rescue il from destruction and secure the
unexampled prosperity which all enjoy, but
upon their return home they toiled and en-
dured TO pay the money-lenders enormous
interest and twice or thrice the value of the
money they loaned. They submitted un'
complainingly to burdens of taxation, o.
which the present generation has no idea, in
order TO pay the money-lenders the last cent
they could claim under the most liberal
construction of the Governments obligation
to them. There was no thought of reducing
the Governments income or impairing it
ability TO pay its debts until the money
lenders got all that they could in conscience
ask.
Now that they have got this they MAKE
common cause with the soldier-haters TO re
pudiate the vastly more sacred debt due tn
men whose life-blood and patient valor Sc
cured them their wealth.
The urgent duty of the hour is for ever.
veteran and every friend of the veteran Z
resolutely insist that there shall not be
dollars reduction Of the revenues until tn
country has dealt as Justly with the soldier
as ii has with the bondholders. They shoul
strongly assert that the payment of arrear
of pensions the equalization of the bour
ties, the proper care of the widows, orphan
and dependent parents of deceased soldier
the rescue of disabled veterans from til
cold charity Of the almshouse, and other jul
claims of veterans, are even more sacre
T obligations than the payment in gold Of Il
Oulbtu fohdbSs bOuuhi anu uIunb DS luCb VIII
at least as punetilious regard for the NJ
= TONS honor as those were.
Let the comrades everywhere array then
selves in solid front against this. Let the
protest against il in Post meetings,
Department Encampments, in polite
= conventions. Let them denounce throul
the press Of their respective communitie
d and personally and collectively urge their SCI
d ators and Representatives TO oppose it unit
e the Nations just debts are paid to the mt
y to whom it owes not merely money b
everything.
Is II each subscriber 10 THE NATTONA
= TRIBUNE loiH charge himself UiA getli
u one nelC subscriber The circulation Of the paa